Audio guided system for providing guidance to user of mobile device on multi-step activities

ABSTRACT

An audio guided system (AUGUST) for mobile devices that facilitates the creation and dissemination of audio guided activities (AGAs) from a source computer/device to a plurality of other recipient mobile devices, wherein the AGA is disseminated to the recipient mobile devices in a form that is compatible with the capabilities of the respective recipient mobile devices. The audio guided system comprises the source computer/device, the plurality of other recipient mobile devices and a server.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application makes reference to, claims priority to, andclaims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/860,700entitled AUDIO GUIDED SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO USER OF MOBILEDEVICE ON MULTI-STEP ACTIVITIES filed on Nov. 22, 2006, the completesubject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, inits entirety.

This patent application makes reference to U.S. provisional patent Ser.No. 60/849,715, entitled “QUESTIONNAIRE CLIENT FOR MOBILE DEVICE”, filedon Oct. 4, 2006. The complete subject matter of the above-referencedUnited States Patent Application is hereby incorporated herein byreference, in its entirety.

The present application makes reference to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/850,084 entitled MOBILE DEVICE FOR CREATING ADHOCQUESTIONNAIRE filed on Oct. 7, 2006, the complete subject matter ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

In addition, the present application makes reference to U.S. applicationSer. No. 10/985,702 entitled QUESTIONNAIRE NETWORK FOR MOBILE HANDSETSfiled on Nov. 10, 2004, the complete subject matter of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the interactions betweenmobile handset and a server within a network, and more specifically tothe ability to browse through a multi-step process or activity using amobile handset such as a cell phone.

2. Related Art

Electronic devices, such as mobile phones and personal digitalassistants (PDA's), often contain small screens with very limitedviewing area. They are constrained in terms of how much information canbe displayed, and in terms of user interaction capabilities. Thekeyboards on cell phones, for example, are not conducive for user dataentry, and only brief user inputs can be solicited from a user withoutannoying the user.

Often a user would want to seek online help using a mobile phone forconducting an activity such as fixing a problem with a car (changingtires for example) or baking a cake, without having to use a bulkynotebook computer that might get damaged due to various constraints andproblems of a work area. The use of a computer/notebook is not alwayspossible to retrieve helpful information when they are needed, such asduring an accident on the highway, or while cooking in a kitchen thathas limited space. The use of a mobile phone is preferable in suchcircumstances but mobile phones in general are not endowed with thefeatures or applications necessary to facilitate easy access to suchinformation in a format that is useable and convenient. The wholeprocess of retrieving necessary information using a mobile phone isinconvenient due to the inability of the Internet websites to provideinformation that a typical user can easily read, browse through or viewon his mobile phone. Information access from Internet based websitesfrom mobile devices are quite often unsatisfactory and not useful due toseveral factors, not least of which is the multi-media and graphics richformat in which most Internet websites are designed and made available.A mobile phone with a small screen is not a good candidate for viewingsuch complicated and graphics rich (with graphics, flash screens, videocomponents, etc.) content.

Often, when a user is driving, he would like to access information froma remote source, such as a website maintained by the operator of thenetwork. However, while driving it is very dangerous to read theinformation displayed on a cell phone. It is also almost impossible toread those small screens on a cell phone and manipulate the buttons onthe cell phone while also driving. It is hard enough manipulating a cellphone keyboard when one is not driving, due to the nature of thekeyboard and the tiny keys it provides and the small displays it comeswith.

Online help, which typically tends to be verbose, is almost unreadableand altogether complex and inappropriate for access from a cell phone.For example, online help for configuring a network card on a PC, orbaking a turkey for Thanksgiving, tend to involve a multi-step activityand therefore detailed in its descriptions. Not only are online helpwebsites not suitable for access via cell phones—they make for bad userexperience, but also too verbose and repetitive. Thus, users of cellphones refrain from seeking online help from cell phones.

User interaction in real time, such as those provided for a user using aPC on the Internet, are often not possible for a user using a cellphone. For example, the amount of textual information cannot be a fullpage of textual information that is typically made available on a PC.Graphical information also cannot be large. A typical website provides arich multi-media experience. The same website, when accessed from a cellphone, would not only be unreadable, due to its large amount of text,graphics and even video, but also frustrating due to the nature of websites—the design of websites often being multi-media based(predominantly providing large multi-media web pages full of text,graphics, flash-based and even containing videos). Thus, there is aproblem in presenting a mobile user with information in order to solicituser input when the user is using a cell phone. Soliciting user inputfrom a user when the user is using a cell phone, rather than a PC, is abig problem.

Cell phones are therefore a device for which traditional websites areill prepared to provide information. In addition, surveys orquestionnaires that are created for Internet based access via a PC arenot appropriate for cell phone access. Asking one or more detailedquestions with information on how to answer them is possible on a webpage that is accessed from a PC. However, the same web page would beunmanageable and difficult to browse and navigate on a cell phone with asmall LCD screen and small keyboard for user input.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the artthrough comparison of such systems with the present invention as setforth in the remainder of the present application with reference to thedrawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods of operationthat are further described in the following Brief Description of theDrawings, the Detailed Description of the Invention, and the claims.Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of the invention madewith reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The numerous objects and advantages of the present invention may bebetter understood by those skilled in the art by reference to theaccompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective block diagram of an audio guided system formobile devices that facilitates the creation and dissemination of audioguided activities (AGAs) from a source computer/device to a plurality ofother recipient mobile devices, wherein the AGA is disseminated to therecipient mobile devices in a form that is compatible with thecapabilities of the respective recipient mobile devices.

FIG. 2 is a perspective block diagram of a system that supports AGAcreation and dissemination, the AGA creation facilitated by the use of aPC/computer, by a user.

FIG. 3A is an exemplary notification message display screen for a mobiledevice 307 that supports the display of AGA using a client component, orthe browsing through an AGA from the mobile device.

FIG. 3B is an exemplary notification message displayed in a notificationwindow (or pane) on a mobile device, wherein the user is provided theopportunity to start reviewing an AGA using a link provided, that abrowser can retrieve, and wherein the user is also provided with thelinks to download the client component if necessary in order to view theAGA locally in the mobile device.

FIG. 3C is an exemplary browser window on a mobile device that is usedto retrieve and display activity steps provided as a web pages regardingan audio guided activity, that is distributed by a server in an audioguided system or network.

FIG. 4 is a perspective block diagram of the layout of an exemplaryaudio guided activity that comprises one or more tasks, each with apreamble, a textual description and supplementary information.

FIG. 5 is an interaction diagram that depicts an exemplary interactionbetween a sender's PC, notebook, PDA or laptop that is used to createand upload AGAs and questionnaires and a recipient mobile device used torespond to the AGAs and questionnaire, wherein the sender's PC,notebook, PDA or laptop is used by a user to create AGAs with textualand audio components that a server enhances, if necessary, and sends itto recipients.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile device that supportspresenting an activity guided activity (AGA) to a user.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary operation of a server thatreceives, stores and disseminates AGAs to mobile devices.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an exemplary operation of the server thatfacilitates tailored AGAs wherein the AGA is tailored based on devicecapabilities of the user's mobile device or PC.

FIG. 9 is another schematic block diagram of a mobile device thatsupports presenting an activity guided activity (AGA) to a user.

FIG. 10 is a perspective block diagram of a network wherein guidedactivities are provided to users such that a user can view them on theirtelevisions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective block diagram of an audio guided system 105(AUGUST) for mobile devices that facilitates the creation anddissemination of audio guided activities (AGAs) from a sourcecomputer/device 107 to a plurality of other recipient mobile devices111, 113, wherein the AGA is disseminated to the recipient mobiledevices in a form that is compatible with the capabilities of therespective recipient mobile devices 111, 113. The audio guided system105 comprises the source computer/device 107, the plurality of otherrecipient mobile devices 111, 113 and a server 109. The display of AGAsin a recipient mobile device, such as the recipient mobile device A 111,requires the use of a corresponding client component, such as a QClient,that can display one step of a multi-step activity at a time. Each AGAcomprises textual descriptions, audio preambles, optional audiosupplementary information, an optional textual supplementaryinformation, for each step of a multi-step audio guided activity. An AGAis used to describe the method to cook a dish using an associatedrecipe, the process of executing an operation, such as changing the tireon a car, using an associated multi-step operation, etc. The display ofeach step involves the display of textual descriptions, the playing ofaudio information such as a preamble, the optional display ofsupplementary information and the playing of audio supplementaryinformation, if available. A user can view (often using text, and evengraphics if available) and optionally listen to the detaileddescriptions of each step of an AGA, one step at a time, and browsethrough each step.

Some of the plurality of other recipient mobile devices 111, 113 arelegacy devices that do not have a necessary client component capable ofhandling the download and display of AGAs. Others of the plurality ofother recipient mobile devices 111, 113 have the client componentcapable of handling the download and display of the AGAs.

In one embodiment, the server 109 determines which recipient mobiledevice can handle AGAs (because they comprise the client componentcapable of handling the AGAs), and which need to be sent a simplersubset of the AGAs that can be displayed/rendered without the clientcomponent, such as by the use of a browser in the recipient mobiledevice that may be used to browse through a hosted version of the AGAsthat can present web pages of the AGAs.

The audio guided activity is created/stored/distributed as a packagedcontent with a multiple step activity, such as an XML file, wherein eachstep comprises:

-   -   an audio preamble, used to describe in audio form the purpose of        the current step and provide an overview of the step (other        types of information may also be provided if necessary, in a        brief format)    -   a textual step description regarding the activity, in succinct        form, with minimal text, and    -   an audio supplementary information, providing additional details        that may help a user better understand the step, its benefits,        alternate steps, if any, and any additional detail that may aid        the user's comprehension of the step.

Typically, the audio preamble and audio supplementary information arepresented to a user in order to provide audio based description andadditional details of specific steps of a multi-step activity. Thetextual step description of each step of a multi-step activity isdesigned to provide minimal necessary information for a user, withsupplementary information in audio or textual (or video and graphicsforms too, in some embodiments) form provided to aid user comprehensionof the associated step in the multi-step activity.

The textual step description typically comprises a textual description(of the specific step in the multi-step activity) in the form of a smallparagraph. Optionally, it also comprises of a graphics or a picture (tobe supported in specific embodiments, or in specific devices based ondevice capability information). In general, the mobile device employs aclient that provides a window pane or dialog box (or other similargraphical widgets) for textual description display, with a menu-item“Info” for playing the preamble, and another menu-item “SupplInfo” forplaying audio supplementary information while also displaying anysupplementary textual information that may be available. In addition, aNext menu-item is provided to advance to a next step of the multi-stepactivity, if any) and a cancel menu-item that is provided to terminatethe multi-step activity.

The source computer device 107 captures audio preambles andsupplementary information provided by a user in audio form, capturestext descriptions typed in or provided by user in some form, creates apackage of such content associated with an audio guided activity, andsends it to a server 109 to be saved and/or disseminated to designatedrecipients. The recipients use their respective recipient mobile devices111, 113 for browsing through the audio guided activity when theyreceive it. They can use the client component, if it is available, forsuch browsing. Alternatively, they can use a browser (such as a WAPbrowser) to browse through the AGA.

The server 109 receives AGAs from the source mobile computer/device 107,adds boilerplate text and audio if necessary, determines which of therecipient mobile devices specified, such as recipient mobile devices 111and 113, can handle the all the contents of the AGA (audio components,textual components, graphics if any, video is any), and which need to besent a simpler subset of the AGA, such as only text, or only audiocomponents of the AGA.

The server 109 is capable of converting recipient list to a list ofphone numbers or IP addresses as needed, in order to communicate theAGA, or a notification regarding the AGA, to the recipient mobiledevices 111, 113. In order to play all the components of an AGA, ifrequired, the recipient devices, such as the recipient device 111, havea client component that can handle all the components of a AGA, audio,textual, graphics and even video components).

In one embodiment the client component is required in a recipient mobiledevice to handle the components of an AGA, such as audio and textual. Inorder to play all the components of an AGA, if required, the recipientdevices, such as the recipient device 113, do not have a clientcomponent. Instead, the server 109 makes it possible for them to receiveand display/play the AGA by sending them the same AGA in an alternateform, such as a simplified set of web pages, that the recipient clientdevice 113 can display using a browser or some other existing client inthe recipient mobile device 113. In addition, the recipient clientdevice 113 will be sent a notification regarding the AGA that alsocomprises a link that can be activated to download the client componentso that it could be installed before displaying the AGA.

The recipient mobile device 113 without client component gets anopportunity to download & install the necessary client component. Theuser can then activate the download link whereupon the client componentis downloaded and installed automatically (or with user opt-in). Theuser of the recipient mobile device 113 also is given the option,selectively, to receive a subset of AGA that recipient mobile device 113can handle without the client component.

The recipient mobile device 111 with the client component receives anAGA, lets user browse through each step and view the textual componentsand listen to audio components for each step them. It is able toplay/render/display all portions of an AGA that may be provided, such asaudio, text, graphics, video, etc.

The server 109 is capable of completing the incomplete AGA received fromthe source computer/device 107 or another server (not shown). Forexample, the source computer/device 107 may send an incomplete AGA withtwo steps, each with only the audio preamble created (by a userrecording the steps of an activity in audio form that incorporates abrief descriptions of steps involved) and the server 109 incorporates ageneric textual preamble and a generic textual description in order tocomplete the AGA. In one embodiment, the server transcribes the audiocomponents into textual components and sends those transcribed text(perhaps along with the other boilerplate text) to recipients who cannothandle audio components of an AGA. Thus, for example, spoken preamblesand supplementary information, in a questionnaire can be converted intoequivalent textual components by the server 109, in an automated way, sothat devices that cannot handle audio preambles and audio supplementaryinformation (or video preambles and video supplementary information) canbe provided with equivalent and/or relevant textual components.

The server 109 receives an AGA from a user, incorporates text orgraphics as needed, and generic prompt to user, and sends questionnaireto recipients. The recipients are either specified by the user alongwith the questionnaire or pre-configured and stored in the server 109 tobe used to forward AGA. The server 109 provides coupons to a user at theend of the AGA, or during the display of an AGA by means of a menu-itemprovided to retrieve a coupon and information associated with a coupon.Additionally, it is possible to configure the server 109 to providecoupons (one or more) to a recipient mobile device 111, 113 along withan AGA, such that those coupons can be saved on the recipient mobiledevice 111, 113 for subsequent usage using the recipient mobile devices111, 113.

The server 109 also supports the notification of the availability of theAGA and the dissemination of an AGA to the recipient mobile devices 111.The user interaction is facilitated by a client component in therecipient mobile device 111, which is either made available by themanufacturer of the mobile handsets or subsequently downloaded over theair, or otherwise installed by the user. The client component is able toprocess the received AGA (or portions thereof), playing audio portionssuch as audio preambles, audio supplementary information, etc. anddisplaying textual preambles and textual descriptions of individualsteps of a multi-step activity/operation.

In one embodiment, the system 105 comprises mobile devices 107, 111, 113which are a combination of cellular phones, PDAs, etc. and the networkis 115 is a wireless and/or wired network, cellular network such as 3G,UMTS, CMDA, GSM, etc., a WLAN network, or a WiMAX network, Internet,Bluetooth, IrDA, etc.

The server 109 receives Audio Guided Activity from sourcecomputer/device 107, adds boilerplate text if needed, and forwards it tospecified recipients 111, 113. In one embodiment, itmulticasts/broadcasts it over a multicast network 115 or a broadcastnetwork 115.

In one embodiment, more than one version of an audio guided activity iscreated by the source computer device 107, and stored for disseminationat the server 109. Particular versions of the audio guided activity arecommunicated to specific mobile device 107, 111, 113, based on one ormore criteria, such as user preferences, user interests, user groupaffiliations, membership information, etc. Such preferences userinterests, user group affiliations, membership information are stored inthe server 109 in one embodiment, and in the mobile devices 107, 111,113 in another. In a related embodiments, they are stored in both.

In one embodiment, the source computer/device is used to create amultistep audio guided activity that provides at least one (if not morethan one) of an audio preambles, short textual descriptions, and audiosupplementary information for each of the steps of the multistep audioguided activity. The multistep audio guided activity is sent to server109 to be disseminated to one or more recipient devices that are mobilephones, PDAs, computers, PCs, etc.

The AGAs facilitated by the present invention are used to create anddisseminates multistep activity information such as the steps necessaryto diagnose and fix a problem with a machine, an electronic device or avehicle. AGAs, in accordance with the present invention, are used toprovide detailed help/guidance, in a timely fashion to people trying toconfigure a device, configure a service, or work on a vehicle, etc. Forexample, an audio guided activity can comprise a sequence of stepsnecessary to configure a service, a machine, an electronic device or avehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective block diagram of a system 205 that supports AGAcreation and dissemination, the AGA creation facilitated by the use of aPC/computer 231, by a user. The system 205 comprises the PC/computer 231that a user uses to create AGAs, a server 217 that receives the AGAs andsends them to one or more recipient mobile devices 211, 227, and ahosted AGA creation component 207 that facilitates AGA creation usingthe PC/laptop/computer 231, or via web pages provided by the server 217.The system 205 also comprises a storage 215 that is used to store AGAsand questionnaires if necessary, and a results and activity loggingcomponent 219 that can be used to track AGA creation, AGA dissemination,and other related activities. In addition, the system 205 comprises abilling system 223 that can facilitate billing for the creation of AGAs,the distribution of AGAs, etc.

AGA creation in facilitated by the hosted AGA creation component 207that can be accessed and used by a user employing the PC/Notebook/Laptop231. AN AGA creation tool installed in the PC/Notebook/Laptop 231 mayalso be used by a user to create AGAs that can be uploaded to the server217. A user with AGA creation tool in the PC/Notebook/Laptop 231 createsan AGA and sends the created AGA to recipients/a mailing-list.

The user can also employ a PC/Notebook/Laptop 231 communicativelycoupled to a hosted AGA creation component 217 to create AGAs with onlyaudio inputs and textual inputs provided by the user for the varioussteps of an associated activity. The AGA is likely to comprise of audioand/or textual preambles for the steps of an audio guided activity,textual descriptions of the steps of the associated activity,supplementary information in audio and textual formats (even graphicsand video formats) for each of the steps, etc. Then user provides arecipient list in one or more formats. The server 217 sends out the AGAto recipients specified by the user, using their corresponding mobilephone numbers, IP addresses, email addresses, etc. A recipient user canuse his recipient computer 211 to receive or browse thorough the AGA. Adifferent recipient user can use the recipient mobile device 227 to dothe same.

When a recipient using the recipient mobile device 227 gets the AGA onhis mobile device, the steps of the AGA themselves are provided to therecipient by the server 217, starting with the first step of amulti-step activity. Thus, in the beginning of the AGA, the recipientwould view the first step perhaps with an audio preamble and appropriatetextual description, and would be able activate an Info menu item tohear the audio preamble for the first step. The user advances to thenext step by activating the Next menu item to proceed.

In one embodiment, the recipient device is a legacy device 227 and notcapable of letting a recipient user work through the steps of the AGA.For such a device, the server 217 sends a voice mail notification to therecipient device 227 and when triggered by the recipient device 227,causes the audio preamble of the steps to be played as voiceinformation, such as those that employ interactive voice response (IVR)systems (not shown). The user is provided with the option to advance tothe next step when ready. Thus, part of the AGA, the audio preamble andaudio supplementary information, is played as part of a UVR based audioplayback. Such a solution wherein IVR is used makes it possible toincorporate “legacy” devices and land line devices into the system 205and have them participate in receiving AGAs and browsing through them.The server 217 thus employs the services of an IVR component to provideAGAs to recipients on legacy devices (and other devices that do not havean appropriate client software installed) in order to facilitate accessfrom such devices.

In one embodiment, the recipient mobile device 227 is a legacy device227 and not capable of letting a recipient user work through the AGA asit does not have a client component. Instead, it has a browser that canbe used to browse though the steps of the AGA, the steps providedemploying web pages hosted by the server 217, presenting one or moresteps in each web page of the AGA.

In one embodiment, an XML audio guided activity (AGA) iscreated/stored/by a user using a PC/notebook/laptop 231. It is createdas an XML file comprising a multiple step activity—wherein each stepcomprises:

-   -   an audio preamble,    -   a textual step description, and    -   an audio supplementary information.

The audio preamble and audio supplementary information areplayed/rendered during a display of a step of activity, when invoked bythe user using appropriate menu-items or buttons. The textual stepdescription comprises Textual description in the form of a smallparagraph. Optionally, it also comprises of a graphics or a picture(that is also provided as part of the XML AGA).

In one embodiment, the PC/notebook/laptop 231 comprises a tool calledthe QCreator that can operate in two modes, a questionnaire creationmode and a AGA creation mode. The output created is a Questionnaire oran Audio guided Activity (AGA) to be used by an Audio Guided System(AUGUST). If Questionnaire is the mode set during the use of the tool, aquestionnaire is created, with user interface customized for suchcreation. If AGA is the mode set on the tool, then screens appropriatefor the creation of an AGA are provided to the user.

FIG. 3A is an exemplary notification message display screen 309 for amobile device 307 that supports the display of AGA using a clientcomponent, or the browsing through an AGA from the mobile device 307.Notifications, such as those received as an SMS message, received byuser (for example, of type Service message) on mobile device 307, offersthe user an opportunity to download a client component that is capableof displaying an AGA. If the user of the recipient mobile device doesnot have an appropriate client component (such as a qClient componentcapable of displaying an AGA and questionnaires), then the user canstill view the AGA by viewing the hosted version of the AGA using abrowser in the device, such a browser retrieving one or more web pagesfor the AGA using a link (URL or some such reference) to the AGAprovided as part of the notification message (such as a URL in an SMSmessage). Thus, the notification also offers link to the AGA that abrowser can use to provide access to associated web pages for the AGA.Notification messages (such as SMS based ones) can be flagged to beservice messages, and are sent to mobile device by service providerssupporting/providing AGAs. They contain links through which the messagecontent, such as AGAs and questionnaires, can be downloaded.

It is possible to automatically download client component for a AGA(such as qClient) and the associated AGA to the mobile device 307, ifthe user has configured the mobile device to download messages/contentautomatically.

FIG. 3B is an exemplary notification message 367 displayed in anotification window (or pane) 359 on a mobile device 357, wherein theuser is provided the opportunity to start reviewing an AGA using a linkprovided, that a browser can retrieve, and wherein the user is alsoprovided with the links to download the client component if necessary inorder to view the AGA locally in the mobile device 357.

The user who receives notification (such as SMS) can open a URL linkprovided to review an audio guided activity, using a client such as abrowser, interacting with server that is remotely hosted. Alternatively,user can download client activating Download link and then review theAGA locally using the downloaded client.

In addition to AGAs, questionnaires can also be received and reviewedusing the mobile device 357. A user who receives notification (such asSMS) can also open a URL link provided to respond to a questionnaire,using client software such as a browser, interacting with server that isremotely hosted that provides web pages for the questionnaire.Alternatively, the user can download client component (such as qClient)by activating a Download link in the received notification (such as SMSmessage) and then respond locally using downloaded client (that is theninstalled too).

FIG. 3C is an exemplary browser window 379 on a mobile device 377 thatis used to retrieve and display activity steps provided as a web pagesregarding an audio guided activity, that is distributed by a server inan audio guided system or network. For the mobile device 377 with noQclient installed, a browser in the mobile device 377 is used by a userto interact with a server that provides web pages of the AGA. Thebrowser in the mobile device 377 retrieves one step of the multi-stepactivity at a time and displays it. Audio component, if any, in eachpage is played by a media player (or some audio player) in mobile device377. Similarly video content and graphics content, if any are displayedusing appropriate plug-ins to the browser.

Thus, in a mobile device 377 with no Qclient, a browser in the mobiledevice 377 is used to interact with a server that provides the webpagesfor the various steps of an activity. The browser in mobile device 377retrieves one question at a time and displays it. Audio component ineach page is played by a media player (or some audio player) in themobile device 377.

FIG. 4 is a perspective block diagram of the layout of an exemplaryaudio guided activity 407 that comprises one or more tasks 409, 411,each with a preamble, a textual description and supplementaryinformation. The audio guided activity 407 supports multiple levels ofdetails, in that specific tasks associated with specific steps of anactivity may comprise of sub tasks. The details of these subtasks mayalso be specified in the AGA 407. For example, a subtask 437 of task 2411 may be displayed if necessary by a client component of a mobiledevice—which would display current portions of the AGA when requested bya user. For the subtask 437, the client displaying the AGA would thendisplay the textual description 443 associated and play the audiopreamble 441. In addition, when invoked, the supplementary information445, 447 for the subtask 437 is also played/displayed respectively.

FIG. 5 is an interaction diagram that depicts an exemplary interactionbetween a sender's PC, notebook, PDA or laptop 507 that is used tocreate and upload AGAs and questionnaires and a recipient mobile device515 used to respond to the AGAs and questionnaire, wherein the sender'sPC, notebook, PDA or laptop 507 is used by a user to create AGAs withtextual and audio components that a server 509 enhances, if necessary,and sends it to recipients. In one embodiment, the sender's PC,notebook, PDA or laptop 507 comprise the plugin client that works withbrowsers to facilitate creation of AGAs and browsing through any AGAsreceived. The user's PC, notebook, PDA or laptop 507 initially sendshelps a user create an AGA and then send it to the server 509, alongwith a list of recipients. The server 509 then forwards the AGA foroptional storage and retrieves it when requested by a recipient—thestorage being temporary or permanent.

Then, the server 509 sends a push notification to the recipient devicessuch as recipient mobile device 515. In response, the recipient mobiledevice 515 initiates the browsing of the AGAs starting with the firststep of a multi-step activity. The server 509 sends the first segment ofthe AGA, which may comprise of a set of steps, to the recipient mobiledevice 515. In one embodiment, the browser in the recipient mobiledevice 515 determines that the client plugin should process the AGA andinvoke it, passing the AGA to it for processing. The client pluginmanages the subsequent processing of the steps in the AGA.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile device 611 that supportspresenting an activity guided activity (AGA) to a user. The mobiledevice 611 comprises a processing circuitry 621, an AGA storage 625where the downloaded/received AGA is stored and managed, a communicationcircuitry 623 that facilitates AGA downloads, an authenticationcircuitry 615 that can be used for optional user and/or mobile device611 authentication, and a player circuitry 617 that is used toplay/render audio and/or video components of an AGA. In addition, itcomprises a client component 613, that is capable of presenting an AGAto a user, gathering instructions from a user to move forward or stepback across the AGA as it is being played, and responding to those userinstructions. The client 613 comprises an usage monitoring component 619that keeps track of the various AGAs that the user has accessed andreviewed, and reports on such usage as required.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an exemplary operation of a server thatreceives, stores and disseminates AGAs to mobile devices. At a startblock 707, the server receives an AGA (or a subset of an AGA) from auser's PC/Laptop/computer where the user creates the AGA. At a nextblock 709, the server determines recipients for the AGA. In oneembodiment, recipients are provided as a default list by a user, andreused on subsequent AGAs. In another embodiment, recipients sent alongwith an AGA are used instead of a default list of recipients alreadyprovided.

Then, at a next block 711, the server sends a notification, such as anSMS message, or an email, to a user of a mobile device or a PC, the userbeing one of the recipients. The notification to recipient devicescomprises an URL from where the AGA can be downloaded. It also comprises(optionally) an URL where the AGA can be remotely browsed from awebsite, such a feature being useful for access from a mobile device orPC that does not have the necessary client component. Typically, the URLreferencing the AGA points to a webpage or AGA content hosted by theserver, although URLs for other websites may also be used.

At a next decision box 713, the server determines if a client exists ina mobile device/PC that can download an AGA and present it to the user.For example, the server can determines if the mobile device is ready todownload an AGA from the server when the mobile device a notificationand the server receives a response to the notification sent to themobile device. If the server does determine that the client exists inthe device and the client is ready, then, at a next block 715, theserver facilitates download of the AGA to the client. Then, at a nextblock 717, the server monitors the usage by the client 717. Then, at anext block 719, the server reports usage by the mobile device/PC ifnecessary, such reporting being periodic, event based, etc. based onpolicies and preferences. Finally, at an end block 719 the processingterminates.

If, at the decision block 713, server does determine that the clientdoes not exist or is not ready, then, at a next block 723, the serverreceives a request for webpages from the mobile device and provideswebpages to the mobile device or PC where a browser, such as an HTTPbased browser, receives and presents the AGA steps to the user. Theserver presents the webpages sequentially to the browser in the mobiledevice or PC. Then, at a next block, the server monitors usage andsubsequently reports usage if necessary at a next block 719.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an exemplary operation of the server thatfacilitates tailored AGAs wherein the AGA is tailored based on devicecapabilities of the user's mobile device or PC. At a start block 805,the server starts processing. Then, at a next block 807, the serverreceives a multi-media AGA and a recipient list from a sender's PC orcomputer. The sender might be the person who created the AGA, or anotherperson responsible for creation and distribution of an AGA. Therecipient-list can be a list of phone numbers, email addresses, IPaddresses or a combination of these.

Then, at a next block 809, the server processes the AGA and stores it.For example, if the server has to insert a boilerplate text, pictures orboilerplate audio components to an AGA, it does it. This is done basedon preferences and policies. At a next block 811, the server notifiesrecipients from the recipient list provided by user or setup as adefault.

Then, at a next block 815, for each recipient in the recipient list,when the AGA is requested from the recipient mobile device or PC, theserver determines corresponding device's capabilities and tailor's theAGA to the user's device. Tailoring involves reducing, shrinking orcropping images, reducing or eliminating audio content, etc. Then, at anext block 817, the server provides the tailored AGA per devicecapabilities. Then, at a next block 819, the server receives usageinformation and other statistics optionally sent by the client in therecipient mobile device or PC. Finally, processing terminates at an endblock 823.

FIG. 9 is another schematic block diagram of a mobile device 911 thatsupports presenting an activity guided activity (AGA) to a user. Themobile device 911 comprises a processing circuitry 921, a storage 925where the downloaded/received AGA is stored and managed, and acommunication circuitry 923 that facilitates AGA downloads. It alsocomprises a questionnaire and AGA client 913 that handles audio-guidedquestionnaires as well as audio guided activities, a media playercircuitry 917 that is used to play/render audio and/or video componentsof an AGA or a questionnaire that may be currently presented to a user,and a notification client 929 that receives notifications for AGAs andquestionnaires from a server distributing them. In addition, itcomprises a recording circuitry 915 and input circuitry 927 that can beused by a user to create audio guided activities in an ad hoc mannerusing the mobile device 911.

In one embodiment, a user of the mobile device 911 can create adhocaudio guided activity with the help of the questionnaire and AGA client913. The user employs the recording circuitry to record audio and/orvideo components that are incorporated into an AGA created by the useremploying the questionnaire and AGA client 913. The user employs theinput circuitry 927 to provide textual inputs that might be stored astextual preambles for the AGA. The questionnaire and AGA client 913employs the communication circuitry 923 to send the adhoc AGA created inthe mobile device 911 to a server with whom the mobile device iscommunicatively coupled.

FIG. 10 is a perspective block diagram of a network wherein guidedactivities are provided to users such that a user can view them on theirtelevisions. A user creates guided activity using PC/Notebook/Computerand uploads it to a server 1009, or uses webpages provided by the server1009 to create it. The user can uses or creates Video clips, graphics,audio, etc. to create guided activity. The server 1009 receives guidedactivity (including multi-media and videos) from user'sPC/Notebook/computer 1031 and adds boilerplate content if needed. Theserver 1009 determines which recipient TVs 1011, 1013 need to receivethe guided activity and forwards it. Optionally the server 1009broadcasts the guided activity to all TVs and set-top-boxes (and mobiledevices too).

The recipient TV A 1011 with the necessary client component receives theguided activity, lets the user browse through each step, and requestadditional details as supplementary information when the user requeststhem. In addition, the recipient TV B 1013 that does not have a clientcomponent uses a client component provided by a STB 1023 to receive andbrowse through the guided activity.

The terms “circuit” and “circuitry” as used herein may refer to anindependent circuit or to a portion of a multifunctional circuit thatperforms multiple underlying functions. For example, depending on theembodiment, processing circuitry may be implemented as a single chipprocessor or as a plurality of processing chips. Likewise, a firstcircuit and a second circuit may be combined in one embodiment into asingle circuit or, in another embodiment, operate independently perhapsin separate chips. The term “chip”, as used herein, refers to anintegrated circuit. Circuits and circuitry may comprise general orspecific purpose hardware, or may comprise such hardware and associatedsoftware such as firmware or object code.

The terms “audio preamble” and “voice preamble” as used herein may referto recorded voice inputs that a user records, to provide aquestion/prompt in human language, that also selectively incorporatesresponses in multiple choice format to aid selection by a recipient. Theaudio preamble may be captured by a mobile device in MP3 format, AMRformat, WMA format, etc.

The term “audio-assisted questionnaire” as used herein may refer to aquestionnaire comprising audio portions, such as audio preambles, audiosupplementary information, audio descriptions of multiple choices, etc.that make it possible for a recipient to listen to most of theinformation of the questions in a questionnaire (employing human voices,in audible form) without having to read all of that in a small screen ofa mobile device, without requiring scrolling through textualdescriptions on a limited/constrained device.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the terms “operablycoupled” and “communicatively coupled,” as may be used herein, includedirect coupling and indirect coupling via another component, element,circuit, or module where, for indirect coupling, the interveningcomponent, element, circuit, or module does not modify the informationof a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/orpower level. As one of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate,inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another elementby inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two elementsin the same manner as “operably coupled” and “communicatively coupled.”

The present invention has also been described above with the aid ofmethod steps illustrating the performance of specified functions andrelationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functionalbuilding blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined hereinfor convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences canbe defined so long as the specified functions and relationships areappropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences arethus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

The present invention has been described above with the aid offunctional building blocks illustrating the performance of certainsignificant functions. The boundaries of these functional buildingblocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description.Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significantfunctions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocksmay also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certainsignificant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram blockboundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and stillperform the certain significant functionality. Such alternatedefinitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocksand sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimedinvention.

One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functionalbuilding blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and componentsherein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components,application specific integrated circuits, processors executingappropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.

Moreover, although described in detail for purposes of clarity andunderstanding by way of the aforementioned embodiments, the presentinvention is not limited to such embodiments. It will be obvious to oneof average skill in the art that various changes and modifications maybe practiced within the spirit and scope of the invention, as limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A mobile device communicatively couple to aserver based on communication needs, the mobile device comprising: atleast one non-volatile memory having stored therein one or both offirmware and software; at least one processor operably coupled to thenon-volatile memory, wherein the at least one processor, duringoperation, at least: wirelessly receives and presents to a user of themobile device instructions associated with an activity to be conductedby the user, wherein the instructions are provided as a multistep guidedactivity packaged and delivered as an XML document comprising componentsof presentation for multiple interaction screens, behavior for specificbuttons that may be activated and screen transition data; presentsinteraction screens corresponding to specific steps of the multistepguided activity, wherein each of the interaction screens also presentsdetailed information on the corresponding specific step of the multistepguided activity to the user in audio form, graphics form and video form;receives user input associated with the at least one step of themultistep guided activity; wherein the at least one processor presentssupplementary information comprising additional details for any step ofthe multistep guided activity; and selectively advances to a subsequentstep and to a corresponding subsequent screen, or reverts to a previousstep and to a corresponding previous screen of the multistep guidedactivity, in response to the user input.
 2. The mobile device accordingto claim 1, wherein the at least one processor, when it presents thesteps, presents a corresponding textual information, an audioinformation and a graphics information for each of the steps of themultistep guided activity, and wherein the multistep guided activitycomprises a sequence of steps necessary to configure a service, amachine, an electronic device or a vehicle.
 3. The mobile deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor, keeps track ofthe various multi-step guided activities that the user has accessed andreviewed, and reports such access as required.
 4. The mobile deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the mobile device receives an audio guidedactivity package over-the-air comprising the at least one portion of amultistep guided activity and presents it to the user.
 5. The mobiledevice according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor, duringoperation, offers the user an opportunity to download a client componentthat is capable of displaying the multistep guided activity.
 6. Themobile device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile devices displaysin a notification screen an opportunity to start reviewing the guidedactivity by activating a link provided, and wherein the user is alsoprovided with links to download a client component necessary in order toview the guided activity locally in the mobile device.
 7. A method ofcreating and disseminating step by step instructions of a multi-stepactivity in a network to a plurality of mobile devices, the methodcomprising: creating a multistep guided activity package comprisinginstructions associated with an activity to be conducted by the user,wherein the multistep guided activity package is delivered as an XMLdocument, with supplementary information comprising additional detailsfor each step of the multistep guided activity; storing the multistepguided activity package at a server along with a list of recipients;identifying as target devices those of the plurality of mobile devicesassociated with recipients on the list of recipients; determining whichof the target devices do not comprise a client component capable ofhandling multistep guided activity but are able to present some but notall of the content of the multistep guided activity package andcommunicating only the relevant subset of the multistep guided activitypackage; and wirelessly communicating the entire multistep guidedactivity to the target devices that comprise the client componentcapable of handling multistep guided activity and therefore able topresent to a user all of the content.
 8. The method of claim 7, furthercomprising: transferring a newly created audio guided activity fordistribution to a server.
 9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:sending a notification regarding the availability of the multistepguided activity package to the target devices wherein the notificationalso comprises a link that can be activated to download a clientcomponent so that it could be installed before displaying the multistepguided activity.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the audio guidedactivity creator tool comprises a billing functionality the methodfurther comprising: billing for the creation of multistep guidedactivity packages and for the distribution of multiple step guidedactivity packages.
 11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:processing the multistep guided activity package to incorporate amissing element employing at least one of a boilerplate text and aboiler plate audio information in order to create a prepared multistepguided activity package that can be disseminated; notifying the targetdevices of the availability of the prepared multistep guided activitypackage; and providing the prepared multistep guided activity package toat least one of the target devices.
 12. The method of claim 7, whereinthe multistep guided activity package is a multistep food recipe forpreparing and serving a food item.
 13. The method of claim 7, whereinthe multistep guided activity package is a sequence of steps necessaryto diagnose and fix a problem with a machine, an electronic device or avehicle.
 14. The method of claim 7, wherein the multistep guidedactivity package is a sequence of steps necessary to configure aservice, a machine, an electronic device or a vehicle.
 15. The method ofclaim 7, wherein each recipient on the list of recipients comprises oneor more of: an email address; a phone number; a device identification; auser name; and a universal resource locator.
 16. The method of claim 7further comprising: notifying the target devices with informationregarding the availability of the multistep guided activity package. 17.The method of creating and disseminating content according to claim 16further comprising: receiving from the target devices a request fordownload of the multistep guided activity package.